USE AND DESTRUCTION OF POPPY STRAW

1. As per the NDPS Act, poppy straw means 'all parts of the plant of opium poppy except seeds'. However, morphine is mainly present only in the husk of the pod and approximately five centimetres of the upper stem. 

After extraction of the juice, the husk of the pod still contains a very small portion of the alkaloids and if consumed in sufficient quantity, this husk will give an intoxicating effect. After extracting the opium gum, farmers break the pods and separate the seeds and sell them. The husk of the pods is called poppy straw. 

Section 10 of the NDPS Act empowers the State Government to permit and regulate, transport, sale, use, etc. of poppy straw. This power of the State Governments is subject to the restriction under Section 8 by which no narcotic drug or psychotropic substance can be used except for medical or scientific purposes. 

The State Governments may fix the minimum price which the licenced buyer should pay to the farmers for the poppy straw. The State Governments shall follow the following principles while licencing trade, use, etc. of poppy straw:

(a) Each State which licences any activity related to poppy straw shall designate a nodal officer to deal with all matters pertaining to poppy straw.

(b) All existing addicts of poppy straw will be registered for proper medical care;

(c) On the basis of the registrations and the quantities declared by the addicts and after consulting medical and other experts, the nodal officer shall determine the total quantity of poppy straw for each addict and the entire State.

(d) The quantity of poppy straw to be provided to the addicts should be progressively reduced so as to ensure that after a certain period of time, say, three years from the date of announcement of this policy, there are no addicts requiring poppy straw. After this no poppy straw will be allowed to be used for de-addiction and it shall only be ploughed back as per procedure in (h) below, under the supervision of Narcotics Commissioner.

(e) Stringent conditions should be imposed for supply of poppy straw to addicts so as to ensure that they are in accordance with NDPS Act/ Rules framed thereunder.

(f) The licences issued for purchase and sale of poppy straw, etc. shall specify the quantity that can be purchased or sold.

(g) The total quantity of poppy straw licenced to be purchased and sold in the State shall not exceed the total medical requirement of drug addicts and any scientific requirement of poppy straw.

(h) All poppy straw which remain un-utilised shall be ploughed back into the field under the supervision of the nodal officer who shall issue a certificate to the Narcotics Commissioner that the entire quantity of unutilised poppy straw has been ploughed back under his / her supervision.